The Week ahead

The EU is set to deepen its strategic partnership with India as leaders meet in New Delhi on January 27 for the 16th EU–India Summit, with trade firmly at the top of the agenda. As Europe looks to diversify supply chains and secure reliable partners, renewed momentum is building behind the EU-India free trade agreement. European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance cooperation on trade, security, clean transition, and mobility. “India should remain a counterweight to China and a key partner in building resilience and a more balanced global order. At the same time, partnership cannot come at the expense of principles - India’s continued engagement with Russia must be addressed openly, because true partnership is built on trust, responsibility, and a shared vision for global stability,” says Mika Aaltola MEP, the EPP Group’s MEP responsible for India trade relations.

The EPP Group is calling for stronger EU action to protect democracy from disinformation, election interference, and hybrid attacks. On Thursday, Tomas Tobé MEP will present his draft report in Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS), which proposes many measures to do so, launching negotiations between political groups. "The European Commission’s level of ambition for the planned European Democracy Shield does not yet match the scale of the threat we face. Foreign information manipulation, election interference, and hybrid attacks require a far more robust response. Defending democracy is a long-term strategic task that must be backed by political will and adequate resources," Tobé said. His report proposes, among other measures, an EU “Democracy Shield Centre” to coordinate responses, stricter oversight of social media and AI during elections, and stronger election safeguards via better-resourced national authorities.

The EU must speed up the rejection of asylum applications that are clearly unfounded. On Tuesday, Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties and Home Affairs will vote on two provisional agreements between the European Parliament and EU Member States to strengthen the EU’s response to illegal migration. The “safe third country” concept allows EU countries to declare an asylum application inadmissible when the applicant has passed through a non-EU country considered safe. Another provisional agreement concerns an EU-wide list of safe countries of origin, meaning that asylum claims from people coming from those countries are unlikely to be accepted. “We are speeding up asylum procedures and strengthening efficiency. By clearly distinguishing between those in real need and those who are not, we are taking bold and responsible steps to ensure effective control over migration," says Lena Düpont MEP, Parliament’s negotiator on the “safe third country” file and EPP Group spokeswoman on home affairs.